John Milton Binckley, June 1859 Travel Diary, Page 10

Map of Knoxville and Weverton, Maryland  (1858). Library of Congress*

[John Milton Binckley, June 1859 Travel Diary, page 10. Many thanks to William Myers, Mary Davy, Sally Young and Sue Davis for their ongoing research collaboration; specifically to William for providing scans of the original document, and in turn many thanks to Peter Johnston Binckley and Patricia D'Arcy "Trish" Binckley (1951-2007), at the source.]

Mother has fallen in with some very nice ladies, old & young from Richmond.

We fall now upon the Potomac & canal. A boat, resembling in windows etc., a fortress, is getting is getting along at her best speed, & has the national flag at Each End.

An old lady, not observing any motion, inquires “whether that house is a government Arsenal.”

Buckeystown, or like name, another village, with a long bridge over Potomac, don’t know name of it.

We are now approaching the mountains, and as Twilight comes on, The scene grows wilder.

At Weverton or Knoxville (one name on church, other on goods boxes lying about) a very wild and beautiful scene, a crazy mountain side, offers a month’s study for an artist.

Above this, still on canal, a boat passes, desk covered with pretty girls in whose midst a soldier in uniform is cutting the gayest swagger and muster-man capers, to the envy of the unknightly boatsmen & the admiration of – why of course, of women. I wanted one to fall overboard so as to

[Marginal note, perpendicular to the above text, possibly in the handwriting of Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel (Binckley):]

Many a time, as I watched sunrise or sunset glories gild this lovely spot would I sigh for the artist gift that I might seize and make immortal the beauties around me. Now, I transfer my artist hopes and dreams to you. 

[John Milton Binckley (1831-1878).

Mother = Charlotte Stocker Binckley (1788-1877).
Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley (1838-1930).
Weverton and Knoxville were located on the Baltimore & Ohio rail and Chesapeake & Ohio canal lines, just north of the Potomac River and the Virginia boundary line. 
*Link to entire map of Frederick County, Maryland here.]